{"id":69331,"date":"2016-03-09T08:26:31","date_gmt":"2016-03-09T13:26:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breaking911.com\/?p=69331"},"modified":"2016-03-09T08:26:31","modified_gmt":"2016-03-09T13:26:31","slug":"top-isis-leader-may-have-been-killed-in-airstrike-pentagon-official-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breaking911.com\/top-isis-leader-may-have-been-killed-in-airstrike-pentagon-official-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Top ISIS Leader May Have Been Killed In Airstrike, Pentagon Official Says"},"content":{"rendered":"
Abu Omar al-Shishani, a top Islamic State leader, was likely killed in a series of coalition airstrikes near a strategic town in Syria last week, according to Pentagon officials.<\/p>\n
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement that the U.S. military was still “assessing the results” of the operation. The strikes were conducted by both manned and unmanned aircraft, said one official, speaking on a condition of anonymity to discuss operational details.<\/p>\n
The official said 12 other Islamic State fighters were also killed in the strike, which hit near the town of al-Shadadi. No civilians were killed, the official added.<\/p>\n
Shishani’s death, if confirmed, would represent a strike at the organization’s group of operational leaders. Shishani was a skilled tactician who helped Syrian rebels to victory in a number of key battles earlier in the war. He was also likely a key decision maker for Islamic State combat operations in the region. By contrast, the 2015 attack on Mohammed Emwazi, the ISIS executioner known by many as “Jihadi John,” eliminated a more symbolic member of the terror group.<\/p>\n
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